Baseball base



L. BOURRET BASEBALL BASE March 24, 1964 Filed Dec. 22, 1961 AGENT United States Patent 3,126,203 BASEBALL BASE Lucien Bourret, 1480 De lEglise St, Ville St.-La-urent, Quebec, Canada Filed Dec. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 161,636 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-25) The present invention relates to the game of baseball, and more particularly to an improvement in bases used in said game.

In the game of baseball, it is essential that the bases be accurately maintained in their predetermined positions with respect to the base lines of the baseball diamond as required by the rules; there exist several types of anchoring means for anchoring the bases to the ground. However, in the known systems, the anchoring means comprise rigid metal parts which extend underneath the relatively soft bag or cushion up to the sides of said cushion, whereby said rigid elements frequently causes injuries, especially of the ankles, when the player runs for the base, for instance when he tries to steal a base. Moreover, in known anchoring systems the bag or cushion proper is retained to the anchoring means by belts or straps, and

these often tear off.

The general object of the present invention resides therefore in the provision of a base which is of such a construction that it will obviate the above noted disadvantages.

A more specific object of the present invention resides in the provision of anchoring means for baseball bases in which the metal elements are entirely located under the cushion and are spaced inwardly from the sides of the cushion whereby said metal elements are never exposed and cannot become a cause of injury to the players, even when the cushion is somewhat forced laterally with respect to the anchoring means.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a baseball base of the character described in which the cushion is provided with a cover or envelope which not only serves as a protection for the cushion itself, but which is also directly used for attaching the cushion to the metal anchoring means in order to constitute an attachment which permits slight shifting of the cushion with respect to the anchoring means but which nevertheless is very strong and will resist to tearing.

Another important object of the present invention resides in the provision of a baseball base of the character described which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction, which has a long life and which enables to easily detach the envelope or cover for cleaning or for replacement when worn out.

The foregoing objects and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the following disclosure and by referring to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective exploded view of a baseball base in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section of the base in a position anchored to the ground;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of one of the anchoring elements;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the protecting cover; and

FIGURE 5 is a section of the tubular spike driven into the ground and shown in the unused plugged state.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters indicate like elements throughout, the base in accordance with the present invention comprises a tubular spike 1 having a flattened and pointed lower end portion 2 to facilitate driving of the spike into the ground to the level of its upper open end 3; a cross pin 4 is disposed transversely of the tubular part of spike 1 and is secured to the walls of the latter adjacent the closed lower end of the spike. A tubular stem 5, opened at both ends, has its lower end provided with diametrically opposed slots 6 adapted to receive cross pin 4 when inserted within the tubular portion of spike 1, in order to prevent rotation of the stem 5 with respect to spike 1.

A quadrilateral frame 7 is secured at its center to the upper end of stem 5 in a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axis of stem 5. Frame 7 has a generally square shape and is formed of four metal Wires, each bent to form an isoceles triangle the equal sides 8 of which are in mutual contact two by two with those of the adjacent wires and are welded together, the bases of said wires forming the sides of the frame 7. At the apex of each triangle, the wires are bent back at right angles to form extensions 9 which downwardly extend and are inserted within the upper end of tubular stem 5 and are welded or otherwise rigidly secured therein. Thus sides 8 constitute radial arms connecting the stem 5 with the four corners of quadrilateral frame 7.

A bag or cushion 10 preferably made of sponge rubber or other conventional materials used for the fabrication of baseball bases and of generally square shape is covered by a protecting envelope 11 made of thick canvas or other material which resist to wear and to tension forces. Envelope 11 has a top 12 and sides 13 adapted to exactly fit the top and sides of cushion 10. Sides 13 of envelope 11 are each extended by a flap 14, the side edges of which are converging and reinforced as shown at 15 by a stitched tape or the like. Each flap 14 is provided with a pair of pressure buttons adjacent side edges 15 and the female part 16 of which is disposed adjacent the free edge 19 of the flap and the male part 17 inwardly of a transverse fold line 18 which is parallel to free edge 19 of flap 14.

After the cushion 10 has been inserted within the protecting envelope 11, the flaps 14 are folded over the bottom face of the cushion and around the sides of the frame 7 at the fold line 18 such that the marginal portion 20 of the flap 14 will extend underneath the cushion between the latter and the main part of flap 14. The pressure buttons are thereafter attached.

It is to be noted that frame 7 is of dimensions much smaller than those of cushion 10 in order that the sides of the frame 17, which are parallel to the side faces 13 of the cushion 10, are disposed well inwardly of said side faces 13 as shown in FIGURE 2. Moreover, the envelope 11 surrounds the sides of the wire frame 7 over practically the entire length of said sides as shown in FIGURE 1, whereby the envelope is retained to the frame 7 in a uni form manner over its entire periphery, and a force produced on the cushion and the envelope and which tends to shift the cushion with respect to the wire frame 7 is uniformly resisted over the entire periphery of the envelope because its marginal portions 20 are blocked between the cushion and the main part of flaps 14.

Thus, the base in accordance with the present invention has no rigid metal parts which protrude from the cushion itself and which could cause injury to players even when the players exert a great pressure or tension on the cushion tending to displace the latter laterally with respect to frame 7. Moreover, the envelope not only serves as a protection for the cushion but also retains the cushion to the frame 7 and cannot tear off easily because it is retained to the frame 7 over a substantial length and this uniformly distributes tension forces and thereby reduces any local tension.

The pressure buttons enable to attach and detach the envelope very easily whereby said envelope can be cleaned or replaced when worn out without having to change the cushion 10 and the metal parts of the base arrangement.

When the ground is not used for the game of baseball it is easy to remove the bases, that is the assemblies of the cushions 10, envelope 11, stem 5 and frame 7, while leaving into the ground the tubular spikesl. These spikes can then be plugged with a plug 21 of rubber or the like, as shown in FIGURE 5. Thus, it is not necessary to remeasure the ground in order to determine the exact position of the bases when the ground is again used for the game of baseball.

While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been illustrated and described, it is understood that various modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A baseball base comprising a cushion having a top, side faces and a bottom, a flexible envelope covering the top and side faces of said cushion, and extended by flaps partially covering the bottom of said cushion, a rigi quadrilateral frame disposed underneath said cushion and having its sides parallel to the side faces of said cushion but spaced inwardly and centrally of said cushion with respect to said side faces, said flaps of said envelope being folded around the sides of said rigid frame, means for retaining said flaps in folded position and means for anchoring said frame to the ground including a stem at right angles to the plane of said frame and protruding from the center of said frame and adapted to be set in the ground, and radial arms disposed within said frame and rigidly connecting one end of said stem with the four corners of said frame.

2. A baseball base as claimed in claim 1, further including a tubular spike driven into the ground and in which said stem is inserted, and means to prevent rotation of said stern within said spike.

3. A baseball base comprising a cushion having a top, side faces and a bottom, a flexible envelope covering the top and side faces of said cushion, and extended by flaps partially covering the bottom of said cushion, a rigid quadrilateral frame disposed underneath said cushion and having its sides parallel to the side faces of said cushion but spaced inwardly and centrally of said cushion with respect to said side faces, said flaps of said envelope being folded around the sides of said rigid frame, means for retaining said flaps in folded position, a stem at right angles to the plane of said frame and protruding from the center of said frame, radial arms disposed within said frame and rigidly connecting one end of said stem to the four corners of said frame, a tubular spike adapted to be driven into the ground and in which said stem is removably inserted, and means to prevent rotation of said stem within said spike including a transverse pin mounted within said tubular spike, said stem being provided with notches adapted to receive said pin.

4. A baseball base comprising a cushion having a top, side faces and a bottom, a flexible envelope covering the top and side faces of said cushion, and extended by flaps partially covering the bottom of said cushion, a rigid quadrilateral wire frame formed of metal wires each bent into a triangle, the sides of said triangle being contiguous two by two and fixed to each other, the bases of said triangles defining the sides of said frame, the free ends of said wires being bent at the apex of said triangles at right angles to said frame, a hollow stem into which said free ends are inserted and are secured to said stem, said frame disposed underneath said cushion and having its sides parallel to the side faces of said cushion but spaced inwardly and centrally of said cushion with respect to said side faces, said flaps of said envelope being folded around the sides of said rigid frame, and means for retaining said flaps in folded position, said stem being adapted to be set in the ground.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,046,126 Latina June 30, 1936 2,494,511 Iosselson Jan. 10, 1950 2,624,580 Corbett Jan. 6, 1953 

1. A BASEBALL BASE COMPRISING A CUSHION HAVING A TOP, SIDE FACES AND A BOTTOM, A FLEXIBLE ENVELOPE COVERING THE TOP AND SIDE FACES OF SAID CUSHION, AND EXTENDED BY FLAPS PARTIALLY COVERING THE BOTTOM OF SAID CUSHION, A RIGID QUADRILATERAL FRAME DISPOSED UNDERNEATH SAID CUSHION AND HAVING ITS SIDES PARALLEL TO THE SIDE FACES OF SAID CUSHION BUT SPACED INWARDLY AND CENTRALLY OF SAID CUSHION WITH RESPECT TO SAID SIDE FACES, SAID FLAPS OF SAID ENVELOPE BEING FOLDED AROUND THE SIDES OF SAID RIGID FRAME, MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID FLAPS IN FOLDED POSITION AND MEANS FOR ANCHORING SAID FRAME TO THE GROUND INCLUDING A STEM AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE PLANE OF SAID FRAME AND PROTRUDING FROM THE CENTER OF SAID FRAME AND ADAPTED TO BE SET IN THE GROUND, AND RADIAL ARMS DISPOSED WITHIN SAID FRAME AND RIGIDLY CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID STEM WITH THE FOUR CORNERS OF SAID FRAME. 